


On a whim

by Kris18



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Light Angst, Missing Scene, Missing-Nin, POV Haruno Sakura, Post-Naruto Time Skip | Naruto Shippuden, SasuSaku - Freeform, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-15 19:00:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28693593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kris18/pseuds/Kris18
Summary: Sasuke had always kept an eye on her, and looked for her. Sakura held onto those moments, to the sensation of their skin in contact, to his increasingly icy eyes, like a moth approaches the fire foreseeing its own death.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura & Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke
Comments: 4
Kudos: 35





	On a whim

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Per capriccio](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/740931) by Kris18. 



> Fic answering to the question "Why Sasuke at the bridge already knew Sakura is a medical-nin?"

The first time Sakura saw him again was during a mission to the Land of Thunder.

To say that she "saw" him was an exaggeration as he was hiding in the shadows, but the two burning crimson lights in the night she caught sight of were surely his eyes, and the voice she heard was half a tone lower than she remembered, making her realise with painful certainty that almost two years had already passed.

Two years since Sasuke left her on that bench. Two years she had spent dreaming of and running after him.

She was on her way back from the Raikage office and was heading towards the inn room that had been assigned to her. Still not accustomed to the city, she was lost and ended up in an unlit area of the village that gave off an unsafe suburbs vibe.

\- Sakura.

\- Sasuke-kun!?

\- Silence.

Sakura tried to turn around to look at the source of that voice, but his hand stopped her. Sakura felt what must have been a leather glove and the boy's fingers on her shoulder: his touch was firm, his voice commanding. Obeying to both orders, she closed her open mouth and didn't move.

Although he was the one who approached her, he did not speak a word for a while. Sakura's heart was beating in her ribcage, all too aware of the grip on her shoulder and the presence of the boy behind her.

\- You look fine.

What was that? Was it relief? Was it irony?

\- I'd like to say the same, but I don't see you.

\- And that's how it should be.

\- What are you doing now, Sasuke-kun?

\- I’m getting stronger. Exactly what I’ve heard you are doing too.

Sakura held her breath. Was he keeping an eye on her? She instinctively wanted to bask in that knowledge, but something told her she shouldn't.

\- Will you come back to the village?

\- No.

Sakura swallowed and imperceptibly moved her head, just enough to see of the corner of her eye Sasuke's hand on her shoulder.

\- Will we meet again?

The grip on her shoulder loosened and with a slow motion the boy's hand lingered on her arm, slowly sliding down to her elbow. An almost imperceptible but confident movement. It felt like he didn’t want to leave, or was just her girlish imagination leading her to think that?

As soon as she felt his touch leaving her skin, Sakura turned around, but Sasuke was already far away in the darkness, two crimson eyes in the black.

Sakura wanted to call him, but her voice stopped in her throat as she heard more voices coming from across the street.

Was it really him, or was her mind in love with him hallucinating? And if it was really him, what was he doing there? What was the purpose of showing up for just over a minute?

_You seem fine._

Did he want to check on her health? Why?

Confused, she leaned against the wall beside her; the shoulder where she had sensed Sasuke's touch suddenly felt cold and naked.

She didn't tell anyone about that meeting.

***

The second time it was in Sunagakure. It was sunset and Sakura was passing through the hospital’s back yard after creating the antidote for Sasori's poison when she saw him there, hidden in the shadows near the corner of the building. For a moment she thought she was imagining again: a fugitive ninja standing quietly in the center of Suna during the day? She must be really tired, and the wish to see Sasuke must have made her go insane.

She approached him to make sure, but once again the Sharingan and his distinctive aura of solemnity confirmed that yes, it was indeed Sasuke.

\- Sakura.

\- What are you doing here?

Sasuke's lips curled into a smile that Sakura couldn't decide if it was amused or just sadistic.

\- And here I thought you would be happy.

Sakura's eyes wandered over the boy, finally able to see him: he was taller, his hair longer, his features more severe and his eyes were displaying no emotion. He wore clothes that were terribly reminiscent of Orochimaru's style, with a huge purple rope blocking the wide open white shirt on the front. She felt her heart pounding in her ears.

\- I am – she admitted after a while – but I don't understand.

\- What are you doing now?

\- I'm a medical ninja. But you probably already knew, if you are here.

That sly smile returned to the boy's face, as if he had confirmed something.

Sakura's eye fell on the cursed mark, still visible on the boy's collarbone.

\- You're still with Orochimaru, I suppose.

\- Only until he makes me stronger.

\- Are you just interested in power? Are you not interested in anything else?

\- Power, and revenge. I thought I already told you.

\- So why are you following me?

Sakura noticed how Sasuke's eyebrow snapped at the word "following," and she held her breath regretting her choice of vocabulary.

Unexpectedly, he brushed her face with his hand and lifted her chin towards him. The girl knew that the look on her face that she planned to be proud, certainly still betrayed that inherent weakness she had for him.

\- They tell me you're getting very strong, too.

Sasuke's fingers blocking her chin burned like fire; Sakura's gaze tensed.

\- If I get strong enough for your standards, will you come back to the village?

\- Unlikely.

\- Will you come back to _me_?

In saying those words, Sakura placed one hand on the arm holding her face and the other on the boy's bare chest, who had no noticeable reaction. The girl could feel the solid pectorals, a totally different body from the one she remembered hugging a couple of years before.

_What changed you?_

She wasn't sure what she wanted to confirm by asking him if he would come back to her, but she didn’t dislike the interested look, perhaps defiant, that he was throwing at her. She became Tsunade's disciple so that next time Sasuke and Naruto would be looking at her back and marvel at her strength; if Sasuke admitted that he wanted to see how far she could grow, she would gladly show it to him.

Sasuke brought his face close to Sakura’s; only a few inches divided them: she was sure she saw a glimpse of indecision in those red irises, even if only for a moment. Sakura could feel their breaths mingling at that distance, making it even more difficult for her to control her heart rate.

\- Next time I might not be so nice.

With that last whisper he let her go, and before she could react, the boy had already vanished. In that, a couple of nurses turned the corner and walked over laughing at something Sakura didn't pick up. She found herself thinking about what would have happened if they had a few more seconds.

***

Sasuke was a man of his word: the following time, at Orochimaru's hideout shortly after, he had lost even the glimpse of humanity Sakura caught in his eyes.

Only one thing was unchanged.

\- Sakura.

His first sentence has always been her name. In recognizing her, calling her, it was as if he was confirming her existence. Sakura turned hearing her name: a silhouette in backlighting, his eyes serious. There was no hint of his usual sarcasm: it was the look of a murderer – no, of an avenger.

She didn't see him move when he suddenly appeared beside Naruto, one arm resting on his shoulder; his mocking voice was so different from the good-natured scorn they were used to from their genin days.

Now, he was really meaning what he was saying.

\- So this time around you’ll lose your life, because of my passing whim.

Sasuke stunned Sai and Naruto with a Chidori released from his whole body, and now it was her turn to try to stop him.

He wanted to see her strength, right? Well, she will show it then. She focused her chakra on her fist, ready to hit him full force.

The boy looked at her with his red eyes stained with black. She saw him pick up his sword and change the grip, ready to respond to the attack: this time there was no hesitation clouding his eyes. Sakura clenched her fist even tighter, ignoring that look and the pain she was feeling inside.

But Yamato got in the way, and then Orochimaru. Sakura saw him vanish into the flames, his Sharingan still watching her and Naruto.

Where was the Sasuke they knew?

That evening, back to the loneliness of her room, she found herself thinking about those eyes turning into fire, and the bare skin that she touched a few days before.

She knew they had to bring Sasuke back to talk, that the priority was to make him understand that whatever his plan was, they could have achieved it in a different way... but one side of her that she was ashamed of – the one in love with him – longed for that boy's presence, yearning just to touch him, feel him close, hug him.

She lay down on the bed, trying to ignore on one hand the frustration of being unable to stop him, on the other hand the much more vivid and strong emotion she felt multiplying toward her lower abdomen.

***

When Kakashi's ninja dogs confirmed that Sasuke's scent was moving away, something clicked in her mind: even if it wasn't Sasuke himself, it had to be someone very close to him. With the excuse of using the bathroom in a shop, she created a copy of herself and sent it with the dogs, determined to stay in town: if his team members were there, he was bound to return to that village too.

She waited hidden among the leaves of a tree at the borders of the city: she hadn’t to wait long until a figure in black appeared at the back entrance of the only inn in town.

It was Sasuke.

He was covered in bandages and not wearing a cloak or his sword, but it was definitely him.

The boy's gaze raised and met hers, and Sakura saw a pleased smile appear on his face. Sakura's heart started beating at an irregular rhythm: was he leaving the inn because he knew she was there? Yet she was suppressing her chakra signature.

Sasuke headed to the forest with slow and measured pace; Sakura didn't know if it was due to the injuries or a deliberate choice. She followed after a few minutes, making sure no one was following them.

She found him sitting on a large rock, around 500 meters from the village.

\- Sakura.

As always, his first word was her name.

\- Sasuke-kun.

\- You surprise me. You, going against direct orders and separating from the group.

He knew about the recovery mission; probably his companions warned him.

\- You're hurt.

\- I'm fine.

Sakura ran her eyes over the bandage covering his forehead - _head injury?_ – and the torso – _he must have fought with someone_. He was wearing a sleeveless shirt, leaving his shoulders and arms in plain sight.

\- I can heal you.

\- There is no need. Now I heal quickly.

\- Where are you going?

\- To kill my brother.

\- Do you think you can?

\- I've been preparing for this moment all my life.

Sasuke stood up and walked over to Sakura. His black eyes were still cold as that time at Orochimaru's hideout, his voice neutral. She found herself involuntarily backing away.

\- You, instead. Why are you here?

\- You're wanted.

\- I mean _here_ , now, in front of me.

Sakura felt a tree behind her – she was cornered, and Sasuke was _too close_.

\- You never told me why you came looking for me. Why should I answer?

Sasuke raised his eyebrows at that cocky response, and again his lips curled into that caustic smirk that Sakura didn't understand why, but had a stunning effect on her.

He reached out to her like he did in Suna, lifting her chin to stare into her eyes as if he was looking for something. She felt her face flare up, and Sasuke made a small sound at the sight: it was obviously what he wanted to see.

\- You keep blushing in front of me, even after all these years.

_The eyes of a hawk locked on its prey._

Sakura gritted her teeth and prepared to punch him – what was she thinking when she decided to stay behind and meet Sasuke? Putting herself into such a situation – but the man was faster: with his left hand he grabbed Sakura's right wrist, stopping her attack. He lifted her arm, pinning it over her head and effectively preventing her from moving it further.

Their eyes met at an insignificant distance: Sakura felt the electricity sizzle between them. She saw the boy's sarcastic smile vanish from his face to give way to a look she couldn't decipher; she too felt her angry expression melt away as she found her figure reflected in those black eyes, the same darkness Sasuke had voluntarily thrown himself into years ago. She didn't know what he was thinking or what he wanted from her, but there, in that moment, at his mercy, Sakura knew what she wanted from him.

Confusedly, her mind admitted she was okay to be the prey.

Sasuke ran the thumb of the hand supporting her chin on her lips, drawing the slightly opened shape, his eyes still immersed in Sakura's green ones.

After a few seconds Sasuke's finger was replaced by his own lips and Sakura's eyes widened. The boy's right hand slipped on the back of her neck and pulled her closer to him. In a whirlwind of emotions – confusion and desire – Sakura managed to free her arm from the boy's grasp and cupped his face with both hands, as if her life depended on that kiss.

As if that was the reaction he was waiting for, Sasuke deepened the kiss, biting her lower lip; Sakura welcomed his tongue with her own and blew the last restraints her mind had placed on her.

At that moment she didn't care that he was a criminal and she was in charge of bringing him back to Konoha: this was an event that she had imagined, dreamed, craved for years. When she felt Sasuke pressing his body against hers and pinning her to the tree, she felt that warmth in her lower abdomen awaken again; her breath got labored, and Sakura draw him even closer. She felt his hands sneak under her travel cloak and search for the few uncovered skin of her arms: Sasuke's fingers were warm, but seemed to leave traces of fire behind them.

With a quick gesture she unhooked the button of her cloak letting it fall at her feet, and as if to thank her for the gesture the boy moved his attentions to her neck finally released, leaving a trace of kisses on Sakura's white skin. When she felt him bite gently at the base of her neck, she let out a sigh of surprise, one hand clinging to Sasuke's bare bicep and the other getting lost in his raven hair.

\- _Sasuke-kun..._

She too wanted to taste that skin with a desperation that was unusual to her. When the boy trailed back to the side of her face she attempted to reach the hollow of his neck, but he suddenly stepped back.

Disappointed and frustrated by that refusal she tried to grab his shirt, but he managed to move away before she could.

\- Why!? – She asked in a tone that revealed betrayal and anguish.

Sasuke, with an impenetrable gaze, brushed his lips with one hand and looked at her.

\- A whim.

He turned to leave and go back to the inn, but Sakura stopped him again. Her hands trembled on the boy's forearm, tense with adrenaline and the still unsatisfied yearning.

\- Go back to your group – he told her, his tone neutral again.

\- Just a whim? Is that why you came to Suna? Is that why you came to this forest now?

Their gazes met again: together with that predatory light she saw before and that made her heart skip a beat again, there was a new shadow, vague and inconsistent, of an emotion Sakura couldn’t identify.

With the same movement as before, he brushed her lips with his thumb without saying a word, his eyes fixed on her mouth, as if he was torn about what to do.

Ultimately he grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand away from his forearm: the nuance she had glimpsed was already gone.

\- Go back to your group – he repeated, and without looking back he proceeded toward the village.

Astounded, Sakura fell to her knees, unable to sort what had just happened.

_A whim._

She looked into the void ahead and a cold shiver ran down her spine.

_Come back alive from this battle, Sasuke-kun._

***

She had hoped that the next time she and Sasuke met it would finally be a definitive meeting: Sasuke, with his revenge on his brother under his belt and his soul at peace, would return to the Leaf as a hero, and they could explore what happened that day in the woods.

However, as already happened before, what she hoped for and what reality offered her did not match.

Not at all.

She was holding a poisoned kunai under her cloak, and he had traces of bloody tears on a face one step away from absolute madness.

\- Sakura.

It was her name, but it sounded alien to her. It wasn’t how he had always called her.

_He’s completely different. Is this… Sasuke-kun?_

She didn’t understand. The Sasuke who was talking to her was lucid, yet he was saying things that the Sasuke she knew would never say. The more he talked, the more the blood froze in her veins.

Then, Sasuke asked her what he perfectly knew she would never do, that went against her medical oath. At that moment she realized that the shadow of warmth she had seen in his eyes in the forest was definitely dead, and she wondered why he had kept an eye on her in those months if in the end he was asking her...

\- You're a medical ninja, right? Perfect. Kill her and take her place.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my fic, but I first wrote and published it in Italian. I decided to go on and try to translate it into English myself, but I don't have English native beta readers, so I apologise if the grammar sometimes sounds a bit off. :(
> 
> Yes, I wanted to create a cold Sasuke and a more passionate Sakura for a change.  
> In my mind there's also the Sasuke PoV version, but I still haven't made up my mind whether leave the mystery on why he acted like this. Suggestions are welcome! :)


End file.
